Craven League Football
| DALES FOLK |  | | | PICK OF THE PAST | | | READERS' LETTERS | | | COUNTRYFILE | | | | CARTOONS | | |
|
|
|
Town get point against Fulwood
Fulwood Amateurs 1 Barnoldswick Town 1
After the euphoria of winning through to the final of the West Riding Challenge Cup, Town needed to start winning valuable points to take them away from the relegation area.
They welcomed back Robbie Smith and Jack Overson after their trip to America, both on the subs bench at the start of the game.
Play started in pouring rain with a stiff breeze blowing at Town's backs in the first-half. Town were soon under pressure and Mitch Walker had to deal with a threat straight away after Stephen Chew did well to conceded a corner.
The corner was a dangerous one curling in towards the Town goal at the near post, Mitch Walker seeing the ball at the last minute as it cleared all the players at the near post. He just managed to get a hand to it and clear it to safety.
Town were allowing Fulwood to come forward at every opportunity rarely straying into the Fulwood penalty area but for all the pressure they were restricted to long range shots at goal which were all wide of the target.
But then after ten minutes Fulwood took the lead. Martin Whittaker tackled a Fulwood forward 30 yards from goal but was adjudged to have fouled him, a strange decision as he won the ball cleanly clearing it up field.
It was no use arguing with the referee and from the resulting free-kick Walker in the Town goal was wrong-footed as the ball took a wicked deflection into the bottom corner of his goal.
It was all Fulwood with Town still unable to break through. Walker again had to be on his toes as a Fulwood striker closed down on his goal but he just managed to get to the ball first and clear it.
The first promising move from the Town came after 29 minutes when Kevin Richardson picked out Craig Bradshaw with a superb ball but the striker just failed to control the ball and the chance was lost.
Town then won a corner on the Fulwood right. It was swung in to the near post and headed out to the far side of the penalty area where Mick Holt was lurking. He tried an overhead kick which was directed with power at the Fulwood goal but was blocked and eventually cleared.
Town were now beginning to play a little better and Holt flicked the ball on to Bradshaw who took the ball round the keeper but in doing so was forced just outside the penalty area. With the keeper still yards off his line he weakly chipped the ball into the goalkeepers arms with two Town forwards waiting in the box.
Neil Chapman then got in on the act slipping the ball through to Holt who in turn managed to get the ball to Bradshaw but his final shot was too high.
Fulwood were not out of it and with half-time approaching Walker pulled off another good save as the ball was dropping to the feet of a forward six yards out.
At the start of the second-half Town made an immediate substitution, Smith coming on for Whittaker who had received an eye injury in a first-half clash.
Walker again saved the day diving low down as the ball was creeping in at the far post.
Town then started to take charge with Smith prompting well from midfield. Holt picked the ball up and put over a cross that beat everybody and found James Coonan at the far post ten yards out but his volley was wide of the far post.
Skipper Stewart Airdrie then started to dominate down the Fulwood left and one run saw him drive straight through the Fulwood defence but his final shot was a little weak and straight at the keeper.
Fulwood then won a corner after a good tackle by Shaun Clough cleared the ball out of danger, the corner was a good one curling in on the wind and dropping into the Town six yards box, fortunately for the Town everybody missed it and it skipped past the far post for a goal kick.
Once again the Town defence seem to be unable to clear the ball and after 53 minutes it occurred again, with players seemingly unable to put their foot through the ball and clear it down the pitch, which just puts undue pressure on the defence. The ball was eventually cleared but at times a big boot down the field is better that trying to play football out of defence.
After 62 minutes Town drew level. Airdrie was put through by Holt and went round the keeper and was brought down by a defender who was booked. Holt took the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way to equalise.
Town were showing up well and Holt had a shot blocked just inside the box. At the other end Walker again had to save low down from a header that was goal bound.
Airdrie again broke free down the Fulwood left and crossed to the far post where Chapman headed back across the goal where a defender just managed to beat the in coming Coonan to the ball to clear.
Holt then slid Bradshaw in but he was just marginally off-side. From the free-kick Fulwood had a shot which whistled just over Walker's goal.
Both sides were going for a winner. Chapman pulled another ball back to Coonan but his shot was blocked on the six yards line. Town then brought Overson on after 71 minutes to replace Manzar Ditta.
Airdrie was prominent again putting Bradshaw through but the keeper came out to block the shot at point blank range. Town almost paid dearly for trying to win the game as a Fulwood forward was through on Walker's goal but with only Walker to beat he side- footed wide of the post, a real let off for Town.
The last eight minutes were all Fulwood as they pressed for a winner, the Town defence however held firm and a welcome point was gained.
2:41pm Thursday 3rd April 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: Dave Spendlove, canada on 5:02pm Fri 4 Apr 08
Nice to see a good write up about one of your top area teams doing well (Barlick town)
Nice to see a good write up about one of your top area teams doing well (Barlick town)
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
